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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28400352">Holiday Plans</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcornScorn/pseuds/AcornScorn'>AcornScorn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Gen, Pre-Relationship, Snowed In, can be seen as, kind of?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:07:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,092</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28400352</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcornScorn/pseuds/AcornScorn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Unluckily-or luckily, if someone were to ask Remus-he and Janus' holiday plans have been canceled. It calls for serious celebration, according to one of them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders &amp; Deceit | Janus Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides 2020 Gift Exchange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Holiday Plans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Merry Christmas Tam! I hope you had a great one! I was really excited to try writing for Janus and Remus so I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I hope it's not too sad? I wanted the focus to be on Remus and Janus just hanging and kinda worked some AU headcanons in dfhjgkdjg. Please enjoy !!!</p><p>I wasn't sure if you wanted it to be romantic or not so I kinda left it up in the air/to the reader's imagination!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They'd been roommates now for almost a year and a half, attending the same university. Learning about Remus in the start had been hard-they didn't necessarily get along right from the start, but now, he was the person Janus considered to be his best friend. Even if his twin brother Roman was nicer (on the surface-Janus knew better than to trust someone that charming), Janus preferred Remus' loud company and strange sense of humor. It suited him better. Neither of them were the type of people to fit into crowds- Janus with his deadpan sarcasm and the birthmark across his face that made people suspicious of him, and Remus with his lack of a filter and weird outfits.</p><p>"You're kidding, right? This is a good joke."</p><p>"No, Janus."</p><p>His parents' voice through the phone sounded dismissive, and Janus felt his anger grow at how little they seemed to mind that they had just canceled his Christmas plans for a company getaway vacation. God forbid they invite their son. "Well, fine. I've got friends here that I'll just spend the holidays with instead, don't mind me. It's gonna be great."</p><p>It wasn't true at all. Logan and Patton and Virgil were all already at home or spending it with each other, and he wasn't going to invite himself when they most likely already had plans. He couldn't tell who hung up first, him or his father. <br/>
Janus opened his suitcase, tossing his clothes back on his bed in his frustration. There was no need to keep them packed any longer--he wasn't going anywhere, except maybe to buy some groceries for the next few days so he wouldn't have to go out in the cold. Remus was already gone for the holidays as well, and Janus tried to ignore the disappointment simmering under his skin. Although Roman and Remus were brothers and didn't have the best of relationships at times, at least the two were able to enjoy Christmas together with their family. </p><p> </p><p>Janus struggled with the door on the door for several seconds, rolling his eyes at his own inability to deal with the finicky lock while his hands were freezing. He should've worn a pair of gloves when he was out buying groceries, but he'd been too irate in the moment to think about it.</p><p>As soon as he shoved the door open, he was surprised to realize the living room lights were on. He'd definitely had them turned off. There was a bang in the kitchen, and he was immediately on guard, before he realized he recognized the neon green winter coat left on the couch.</p><p>"Remus?"</p><p>A few seconds passed before a familiar face popped out of the kitchen. "Janus! What're you-oh, you are freezing, aren't you?"</p><p>He shivered involuntarily. "No," he said sarcastically. "I'm peachy."</p><p>"What you need is something to heat you up!"</p><p>Janus groaned. He's expecting Remus to jump up at the chance to make another of his 'world famous' hot chocolates with japalenos (there was a good chance that it was the reason he was currently in the kitchen), or start a fire on the stove with toilet paper like the one time he'd done it. <br/>
What he's not expecting is Remus' arms wrapping around him like he weighed nothing and lifting him up and over to the pile of blankets on the couch. Sometimes he forgot that Remus' volunteering at the local theater meant he was much stronger than he appeared. They were left over from Remus' idea sometime last week to give Janus a proper burrow on the days he wasn't feeling well. As strange as it was, Janus had to do his best to scoff and roll his eyes or risk letting Remus see him blush. </p><p>"What are you doing here, Remus? Wasn't your flight earlier today?"</p><p>"Mmm, it was supposed to be, yeah."</p><p>At Janus' questioning glance, Remus beamed and shrugged. "Flight got canceled last minute due to snow warnings. Roman's already back at home, but I was kind of just gonna stay here all alone and miserable! What about you?"</p><p>As he spoke he threw a blanket over Janus' head, but when Janus looked out from under it he could see the curious look Remus was sending him. He looked down at his hands.</p><p>"Parents canceled. No surprise there. I went grocery shopping instead."</p><p>"Oh, what a pair of dicks. Kidding," he said quickly, when Janus glared at him. "That doesn't really suck, though. Wanna know why?"</p><p>Janus nodded, confused. "Becauseeee this means we're spending it together! Let's remake our holiday plans!"</p><p>Janus would be lying if he said it didn't make him feel better. </p><p> </p><p>"Let's pull an all-nighter," Remus suggests, once Janus is finally warmed up from his snow day venture. Sometime while he was sitting on the couch pretending to drink Remus' jalapeño hot chocolate, Remus had brought in the rest of the groceries (oddly nice of him, but Janus wasn't going to point it out just to make him stop). He was now in the process of stacking the cup noodles Janus had bought on top of one another and trying to beat his own record (Janus remembered it being 8 last time).</p><p>"We are <em>so</em> not doing that."</p><p>"Cool! That means you're in, right? If I didn't know better, I wouldn't know you're being sarcastic."</p><p>Janus scoffs. "There's probably half a dozen parties at the apartments around us, and you expect me to believe you want to stay in and hang out with me the day before Christmas Eve?"</p><p>It was no secret that Remus was a party animal. Janus still shudders thinking about the first time he'd shown up to a party and recognized his own roommate dancing shirtless and singing 2000's pop tunes on the host's kitchen counter. </p><p>"Well, duh! You're like, way more interesting than a party with a bunch of drunk idiots."</p><p>"Excluding yourself, you mean?" Janus teases, smirking when Remus gasps and puts a hand to his chest like he's offended. "How dare you!"</p><p>"Sorry. Kidding." Janus sighs. "As an apology," he says, "I'll do this all-nighter thing. Even though it's bad for both of us."</p><p>"Well, we both know I have no impulse control. Awesome! Let's watch some slasher flicks, I'm super in the mood."</p><p>Halfway through the third movie, Janus wonders if watching adults playing as teenagers get killed is more fun than getting to visit his parent's place in the city. <br/>
Not really, he thinks, but Remus' reactions are definitely a hundred times more interesting, and he almost thinks it's worth considering this year a win in his book-until Remus starts cheering at one particularly gruesome scene.</p><p>"You are so gross," Janus says, and Remus laughs, knowing he doesn't mean anything by it.</p><p> </p><p>"What did we do to deserve each other's company?" Janus asks, eyelids falling shut as he finally gives up his battle trying to pretend like he's not about to fall asleep. It's nearly six in the morning. He's used to a schedule, and staying up for no reason other than 'because we can' isn't on it. </p><p>"Probably a lot of crappy things, if you've ended up with me!" Remus exclaims with a cackle. And then his tone turns thoughtful. "At least, I hope so. I hope you're not just stuck with me."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Janus forces himself to open one eye just so he can squint at Remus. "Trust me, Remus. If I didn't like you, you'd know it."</p><p>Remus bursts out laughing at that. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You suck at lying."</p><p>Janus thinks he totally deserves the pillow thrown at his face for that. </p><p>"Hey," Janus says at last. "Why didn't you and Roman just drive together?"</p><p>"Huh? Oh. Part of me was hoping my flight was gonna get canceled, anyways. I much prefer MY company to Roman's or my parents. Ew."</p><p>Janus is too tired to really make more noise than a quiet hiss between his teeth as a laugh. He falls asleep listening to Remus talking about a party. </p><p> </p><p><br/>
Remus stares down at Janus, mouth hanging open as he cuts himself off mid-sentence. Judging by the fact that Janus was now snoring, he could tell he'd probably passed out a while ago without Remus even realizing it.</p><p>"Huh. I guess you were right," he whispers, doing his best to stand up from the couch without disturbing his friend. "You really won't stay up."</p><p>Not like he could blame him. It was just past eight o'clock. The sun was already starting to peek up and fill the room with light from the windows, and Remus closes the curtains to keep the room dark. It's winter break-there's nowhere either of them have to be. He whistles a tune to himself as he turns off the television, then the lights until only the one in the hallway remains.<br/>
Despite his 'wildly outgoing personality', as his family and friends liked to call it, Remus was more than capable of keeping some of his thoughts to himself. The one most on his mind today was how irritated he was at Janus' parents. He knew their relationship was always rocky, and this would only shake the boat even further. Even if Janus pretended his family was fine, Remus could see how much it frustrated him in the way his expression fell when other people talked about their own parents. The worst part was knowing that although Janus could lie to everyone else, he couldn't believe his own lies about his picture-perfect family. </p><p> </p><p>Maybe that was why Remus liked him so much. While he couldn't be dishonest for the life of him, often making situations go from bad to shit in a matter of seconds, Janus was convincing and knew how to de-escalate a situation in a matter of seconds with just a few carefully placed words. Remus would be jealous if he wasn't just always impressed by how much people liked Janus, even when he wasn't lying to cover himself. He also wasn't jealous knowing Janus' view of the world sometimes. He was distrustful--no thanks to his parents. As Remus grabs a blanket from his room, he hums a quiet tune to himself, then grabs Janus' phone from the coffee table to put it on the charger. </p><p>Sometimes, all Remus hoped for was that he was a nice distraction for Janus. There was more to life than worrying and scheming, after all. Like wondering whether more popcorn or pancakes was a good idea for breakfast.</p><p> </p><p>"Remus?"</p><p>He jumps, nearly dropping the bowl of batter he's holding before he sets it on the counter.</p><p>"Good morning, sunshine!" he exclaims, peeking out past the wall to see Janus sitting up, hair mussed in every direction.</p><p>"What're you doing?" Janus asks, tired voice sounding suspicious. "You better not be making any more of that hot chocolate. I can't handle it anymore, and I don't think the jalapeños make it taste any better." </p><p>"Don't worry about it!" Remus says. "Aren't you sleeping?"</p><p>"I was. Got worried when I couldn't see you."</p><p>"Aww!" Remus' smile only grows bigger when Janus groans and throws a pillow over the couch at him. </p><p>"I mean that in a 'you better not be scheming' way," Janus mumbles, though his glare has no bite in it. </p><p>"No worries," Remus confirms, saluting him. "You're the only one between us who's good at scheming, you slippery snake. Pancakes?"</p><p>"Wh-sure."</p><p>Remus beams. For once he's decided to make them as plain as possible, if only to make sure Janus didn't force himself to eat them to avoid hurting his feelings. <br/>
"Let's go egg Logan's house when it gets dark today," Remus suggests, though he's not really interested in that. He wonders if he can convince Janus to stay up again, though that's probably not happening, judging by how long it takes for Janus to arrive in the kitchen wrapped in a blanket and offer another pointed yawn and glare at him.</p><p>"Maybe let's just do an actual <em>sleepover </em>next time," Janus says. "I'm feeling more refreshed now than I ever have in my life."</p><p>"Awesome!" Remus says, grinning when Janus just offers another yawn in response. "We'll find some way to give you a better sleep schedule yet."</p><p>"I look forward to it," Janus says wryly. He doesn't believe Remus for a second, and Remus can say the same about his own statement. Still. It was always worth messing with Janus, especially when he got to see a small genuine smile out of him at the end of it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Whew Ao3 was NOT cooperating with me when I tried to post this yesterday. If you've read this far, please comment ! They keep me going!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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